MAGIK (Short Story by Smruti Choudhury)

INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT 

Meg flips on to her back, while cradling her phone. 

MEG

Right. So I have hit publish. Now what? 

She listens for a few seconds, before flipping back to her belly. She drags the laptop closer to her and watches in amazement as Ryan takes over her screen, remotely. 

He does few things, which make the page rearrange itself. 

MEG

Wait, tell me what you are doing. I would need to learn this, right? 

INT. OFFICE - NIGHT

RYAN

(cradling his phone between his ear and shoulder)

All in good time, Megs. Just watch the magic happen. 

Ryan reacts to something that Meg says on the phone and stops. His expression changes. He quietly puts the phone down and looks at the screen. 

FADE TO:

INT. LIVING ROOM - DAY

Meg is dusting the sofa. She is dressed as a sexy french maid. It doesn’t look like she is doing any actual dusting. She bends over and looks back in a very suggestive manner. 

We pull back to see that her webcam on the laptop is on. 

Meg pouts and slowly walks to the camera, blows a kiss and switches it off. 

Immediately, she drops the sexy act and sits down. Right then Ryan enters with some coffee. 

RYAN

Coffee? 

MEG

Sure

Ryan passes on a mug to Meg. 

MEG

You don’t have to be grumpy about it. Its not forever. 

RYAN

I don’t like it. 

MEG

You don’t have to like it. You don’t have to watch it. 

RYAN

How can I ignore it? I have to authorize the payment.

MEG

You can teach me. Why won’t you teach me? 

Ryan has nothing to say. He walks away. 

Meg sighs. Then puts on her game face again and switches on the webcam. 

FADE TO:

INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT

Ryan and Meg are in the middle of passionate sex. The laptop chimes. 

Ryan freezes. 

He gets off Meg angrily and looks for the laptop. He finds it and slams it shut. 

MEG

Baby, don’t get mad

RYAN

(spluttering with rage)

H H How...How dare you? Have you no boundaries? 

MEG

It’s not how it looks? 

RYAN

It is exactly how it looks. 

Ryan reaches over to Meg and tries to strangle her

MEG

(breathing heavily)

No baby, this would have been the last one...l..let me go. Yo..you ar..are hurting m..me. 

Meg flails her arm around. Kicks wildly but can’t get out of Ryan’s grip. 

Ryan loosens his grip and just sits there looking at Meg. 

MEG

This client is new. He wanted to see Magik and her boyfriend doing it. He had promised 1 Miilion dollars to just see us. (pause)

MEG (CONT'D)

After this, I would never have to do this. This was Magik’s last act. Don’t you want to be free? Don’t you want Magik to die? 

RYAN

(Sobbing) I don’t Magik to die. I like her. 

MEG

I thought you liked me. 

RYAN

What is the difference? 

MEG

Magik is not me. Magik doesn’t love you like I do? 

RYAN

But I met you when you were Magik. In that shady bar. 

MEG 

(Confused) But then why are you upset? 

RYAN

You still don’t get it, do you? I want Magik to myself. I don’t want to share you with anyone. 

MEG

Ok. I get it. 

She lies down again and pulls Ryan closer to him. She starts kissing him but her eyes are blank. Ryan starts moaning. 

FADE TO BLACK.